Non-volatile data storage devices, such as universal serial bus (USB) flash memory devices or removable storage cards, have allowed for increased portability of data and software applications. Flash memory devices can enhance data storage density by storing multiple bits in each flash memory cell. For example, multi-level cell (MLC) flash memory devices provide increased storage density by storing 3 bits per cell, 4 bits per cell, or more. Data to be stored in a MLC memory may be first stored in a single-level cell (SLC) cache and later transferred from the SLC cache to the MLC memory during a background process. Alternatively, data may be written to the MLC memory in a direct-write operation.
Storing data in a MLC memory is conventionally performed using multi-stage write operations at multiple adjacent word lines of the MLC flash memory, alternating between the adjacent word lines to reduce an impact of cross-coupling effects. However, alternating between multiple word lines may require swapping data for the different word lines into a set of latches in a flash memory die to enable programming of the latched data to a particular word line. Providing sufficient temporary storage capacity (e.g. in a random-access memory) to store multiple sets of data that is swapped into and out of the latches during a direct-write operation increases the manufacturing cost of a data storage device. Further, repeatedly transferring the temporarily stored data to the latches in the flash memory die during each of multiple write stages for each of the multiple word lines introduces delays associated with the data transfer, increasing latency of writing data to the MLC memory.